EVG FinalDr 1/3/10 12:35 Page 16
Nanoimprint Lithography
Another important aspect is the use
of compliant layers that ensure
imprints uniformity over large
areas. The first fully
automated hot embossing
system was developed for
the hard disc industry for
double side
patterning of hard
disks using Ni-
stamps
[4]
.
This article discusses an
automated hot embossing
system for spin-on polymers
as well as polymer substrates,
the first one of its kind that Figure 4: Basic process of soft working stamp
includes substrate and stamp fabrication
handling as well as automatic
embossing and de-embossing process number two. The third process, called
Figure 2: Overall view capabilities. In contrary to established aligned imprint in spin-on polymers is using a
of the fully automated hot embossing applications, the processes we spin coated Si wafer with pre-defined alignment
hot embossing system are reporting on the EVG 750 employ soft keys and a working stamp containing alignment
EVG750 working stamps materials which exhibit manifold keys in the working stamp material. The
benefits over hard stamp materials like Silicon substrate and the stamp are optically aligned
16
(Si) or Nickel (Ni). followed by the imprinting process.
The fourth process is a double side aligned
www
Hot embossing equipment imprinting process in a polymer substrate. This
.eur Below: Figure 3: A fully automated hot embossing system, the process is required for certain micro fluidic
oasiasemiconductor
Close-up of the main EVG 750, was developed and built. It supports devices requiring structured top and bottom
modules of the four different processes shown in figure 1 for sides with interconnects between the layers.
EVG750 (right – 100 mm and 150 mm substrates. All imprinting Another process is a bonding process of a flat
alignment module, processes are utilizing soft working stamps. The polymer substrate to a structured polymer
centre – imprinting simplest process is the first imprint process in substrate obtained from either process one or
module, left – cooling polymer, which defines the structures in a four. This process is identical to process number
.com
module), belt polymer substrate. The same principle process is one, except that a flat polymer is used instead of
conveyer is shown at performed for structuring of spin-on polymer the stamp and that the de-embossing process is
picture bottom side layers deposited on a Si wafer, representing skipped. The bonding process is significant for
square4
Issue I 2010
capping of micro fluidic channels, i.e. sealing of
the channels after the hot embossing process
[2]
.
The hardware of the EVG 750 consists of the
following main modules: (1) an optical alignment
module for the aligned imprint processes, (2) an
imprinting module for performing hot
embossing processes and (3) a cooling station
for cooling the imprint tooling down to room
temperature (figure 3). The imprint tooling is
transferred via a belt conveyer close to the
alignment module for a new process run in case
of processes where optical alignment is required
(figure 3). For first imprint processes the
imprinting tooling and the working stamp stay in
the imprinting module and either Si wafers for
spin-on polymer processes or polymer substrates
are exchanged with a robot module. The
equipment supports fully automated cassette-to
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